Minor League Update

Games of Monday, May 6

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Pitching Prospect of the Day: Yordano Ventura, RHP, Royals (Double-A Northwest Arkansas): 6.0 IP, 2 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, 10 K; elite fastball; easy plus curveball; changeup has made huge steps forward and now has solid-average potential; most scouts now believe he will stay as a starter; number-two ceiling; will be able to provide value to the Royals in 2013, either with his own skills or as the centerpiece of a trade to address a major-league need; 23.1 IP, 17 H, 6 ER, 9 BB, 33 K in five starts.

It's still 29 innings. There can be any number of reasons why these things happen. Maybe he's been asked to work on particular things, maybe a lot of it's random chance, maybe his mechanics are slightly off. I'd suggest that, unless there's some particular reason to worry, such as his stuff being weaker, you're placing too much weight on one data point here.

I'd suggest that "anything on player X" is an open ended question asked to see if the author of the article might know any more information (such as the reasons you mentioned) regarding the player in question. We are all aware that sample sizes in May are small. However, that doesn't preclude us from inquiring as to the nature of results that stand out as being different than expected. I don't think it's unreasonable to ask if Zach has any more information on Cole's control struggles. I do think its a little unreasonable to assume the genesis of the question is based on the commenters focusing too excessively on a single data point.

I called it a "horrific start." How is that putting "weight" on anything? If you have no information to add (and clearly you don't), that's totally fine....and why I posed the question to Zach, not you.

I addressed the Olt issues in a few MLU's. I figured the point was out there that he is struggling mightily. He is getting his eyes checked, but Jason Cole wrote about him a few ten pack's ago if you want to take a look for more information.

When it comes to Cole, it is tough because I saw him at his best last year. I went so far as to saying his stuff looked like Verlander's, in a final interview I had with a team (maybe that is why I am writing here and not there lol). I have not seen him this year, but I always find it hard to believe he does not dominate every start with stuff like his.

I feel like Cole must be working on something new or something that the Pirates want him to. The drop in K rate is so great there has to be something else going on. Whats interesting is that his ERA is the lowest its been in his pro career, and his FIP is the highest.

A small request - I think this is something that KG used to do. Please include players who have lost rookie eligibility, but have yet to establish themselves in the majors. For example, I am thinking of Anthony Gose's horrific performance yesterday. Heard anything from scouts? He is no longer rookie-eligible, but is still very much a prospect.
Thanks

Well you guys finally caught on to this. I figured it would not be long, but I am a sucker for the lower minors. A majority of my contacts cover the lower minors, I find the lower minors more interesting, and I think that Triple-A numbers can get very misleading. If I hear a specific thing from a source I will make sure I include it in the MLU, but I may be wrong in saying I always thought people were more interested in the up and comers as opposed to the prospects playing the waiting game in Triple-A. This may be just my philosophy, and I am willing to adapt if that is what you(the readers) would like.

Are we all hard, cold and unimaginative today? Just messing of course, just understand by the time prospects reach AA it is much easier to draw the line with prospects and non prospects. Therefore, the number of actual prospects at the upper minors is slimmer than in the lower minors.

Please adapt :)
I understand your preferences, but I look at this first thing every day and every day I am struck by how many of these things are of virtually no use to me. Low A ball guys like Reed, Sanchez, and Smith are not interesting to me; they aren't doing anything special and they are a long way from being anything. I am a major league baseball fan and am more interested in guys who are likely to have an impact on MLB this year, or, in the case of Gose, less likely to than previously thought, which is an interesting story as well.
I don't want to discourage you from pointing out emerging players of note at whatever level,and surely we want to hear about top 101 guys who are struggling, wherever that might be. But updating us on notable performances by high-level prospects should be a part of this.

I understand that everyone has different things they look for. My philosophy when writing this every night its to provide the most information I can for the readers. A majority of the time that is in the form of players in the lower minors. However, I do not shy away from including players in the upper minors. I was not including post-prospects previously, but I understand that could be useful for many people. I think the main point I am trying to get at that seems to be going a little unnoticed is that the amount of actual "prospects" in Triple-A are limited. Believe me anyone that has a good/bad night in Triple-A that is a legitimate prospect will be included.

Disagree. I like to hear about the players whose performances have been the most unusual -- that is, those most likely to represent a change in prospect value -- whether it's an 18 year old or a 24 year old.

Wow, I'm surprised at this discussion. I assumed most of us know about guys at AA - AAA, and have access to almost everything there is to know about them. I am most interested in the lower level guys, that don't have much or anything written about them, just because there isn't much data about them. My focus is on who the short season and low A guys are that we will be reading about and looking at in high A and AA, in a year or 2. So my 2 cents is keep doing what you're doing Zach.